Paradise Island (Discovery Cove ( Florida))

Member Name: Hot_Pants

Product:	Discovery Cove ( Florida)
Date:	02/02/05 (3128 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Swim with a dolphin, snorkel with tropical fish, float in a tropical lagoon

Disadvantages: None

Before I go any further - ignore the rides section - There is no "Not Applicable" option.

Discovery Cove is like no other Theme Park. If you are looking for roller coasters or shows, you are looking in the wrong place. Discovery Cove is about peace and tranquillity, tropical beaches, swimming with tropical fish, wading with rays……you get the picture.

At the majority of parks in Orlando, you can buy your tickets at the gate, but as Discovery Cove only allow 1000 guests through their doors per day, it needs to be booked plenty of time in advance.

If you pay extra, you can experience a dolphin encounter. My brother in law decided he didn’t want to do this, and my son was too young as he was only 5 ½, and you have to be at least 6 years old. The rest of us however, wouldn’t have dreamed of missing such an opportunity.

Situated opposite Sea World just off International Drive, Orlando, you would expect noise and bustle, but the moment you walk through the doors, you could easily forget where you are.

On arrival, parking is ample and is free, unless you want valet parking.

To reach the park is a short distance from the car park. There are no steps, so access for wheelchairs is easy.

On arrival, we were greeted by a member of staff who directed us to a desk. We were asked our names, and on confirming each member of the party, and which park we would like free access to for the next 7 days (choice of Sea World or Busch Gardens), our photographs were taken for our ID badges, and the time for the dolphin encounter was confirmed. The earlier you arrive at the park, the earlier you will experience the dolphins. I recommend you get there when the park opens.

You have the option to give members of the party access to your credit card via the ID card, so all items can be left in a locker, and any mementoes or drinks you want to purchase can be bought via your ID card, which is a plastic card with your photo which hangs on a string around your neck.

Once the ID cards had been issued, we were directed out into the park. There is an abundance of staff there to help you. As we entered the park, our photograph was taken as a group. This is issued to you at the end of the day as a complementary photograph (10x8).

We were issued a guide for the first 10 minutes, who explained about the park, and the animals contained within, and he led us up towards the changing areas, and explained where we would meet for the pre-talk for our dolphin encounter.

Having been issued with mask, snorkel (these are not recycled, so feel free to keep it as a memento), sun block, and wet suits, we all headed off for the changing rooms. Be warned, on a chilly day, you WILL want a long wet suit. On a hot day, a shorty will be more than enough. You are given the choice.

We headed out onto the golden sand of the beach next to the dolphin pool, and found good spots to sit. There is no need to worry about grabbing all the loungers you can, as I’m sure there were far more loungers than guests.

We met up at one of the Cabanas for our pre talk. We watched a short film about dolphins, and were given a talk about what would happen, and about safety for ourselves, and the dolphins. We then wandered down to the beach area, and my brother in law and son watched from the edge of the pool. We (a group of about 24 people) were split into 4 groups. The 5 of us were placed with a young girl who was on her own. We were allocated our own photographer and videographer as well as 2 people to guide us through our dolphin encounter. (Now you can see why it is so expensive – prices later). You are not allowed to take a camera, jewellery, or anything else which is loose into the pool as the dolphins are very playful, and tend to retrieve from you anything they have the opportunity to grab. And you are unlikely to get it back in the same condition it left you.

We were guided into the pool, and warned not to splash as it spooks the dolphins. We were introduced to Rose, who was adorable. Stroking her was unbelievable. She felt like really smooth wet rubber. The trainer showed us how to kiss her, feed her fish, and some signals to get her to perform tricks. We were shown how to hold onto her, and she pulled us one by one across the pool.

Rose decided that she couldn’t be bothered to do anything else, and left to play before our photos were taken. This just showed that the dolphins interact with you because they want to, and you can’t force them to do something if they don’t want to.

The staff were brilliant, and brought another dolphin over for our photographs. They also allowed the non swimmers to join us in the pool for some photos, which I thought was wonderful, and so did James.

Once the encounter was over (just over half an hour), we were led back to the Cabana, and we chose which photos we wanted to buy, and decided to have the video as well. (If you live in the UK, remember to order your video in PAL format, or it won’t work at home.)

Afterwards, we were left to our own devices to explore the rest of the park. We headed for the Stingray pool, where you can wade in with the Rays. I found it really difficult to keep my feet on the ground.

The tropical pool was my favourite. The pool is so salty; you are highly unlikely to sink – a bit like swimming in the Dead Sea. As I snorkelled, the sight was awesome. The pool was incredibly deep in places, and there were some huge Rays, tropical fish, and a coral reef. One thing you really mustn’t miss is the sharks. I didn’t realise there were sharks, but as I dived down under the water, I almost choked as a shark swam right past me! It took me a few minutes to regain my composure and realise that the sharks are actually behind a thick piece of glass, but because of the water on both sides, the glass is invisible. After that, I had to go back for another look. It really is incredible.

There is a tropical river. There are no fish in the river, but it has plenty of areas to explore. The water is set to 80 degrees, and you are pushed around the river through water falls, past tropical rainforests, and through the tropical pool area. It was heaven to relax in there before lunch, and warm up. We chose a really cold day to go! The water in the river and pool are freshwater, which is lovely to get rid of all the salt from your skin.

After that, we decided to dry off for lunch, so we headed back to the changing rooms. Showers, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and towels are all provided, so you don’t need to bother taking your own. The changing rooms were clean, and the water was hot.

We headed off to lunch. A 3 course lunch is included in the price, and I found the food to be of a really high standard, and delicious. Both the children ate well, and we were rather full. There is nothing to stop you going back for seconds, but I don’t think you’ll need it! We sat outside, and were joined by a variety of birds, which was lovely.

After lunch, we wandered around, and explored. We found hammocks over to the far end of the park, and went for a wander through the aviary. You are provided with food for the birds, and if you head there early enough while they are still hungry, they will perch on your arm, head or anywhere they can to reach the little pot of food.

The staff are incredibly knowledgeable, and the lifeguards are in abundance. There are plenty of lifejackets around the park, and I would recommend you use them for any child who is not fully competent in the water.

We bought the children a souvenir each, and I was pleasantly surprised at the prices. A medium sized dolphin, which makes dolphin noises, set us back $18, which with the current exchange rate is about £10. Much cheaper than parks in the UK.

The tickets can be ordered through their web site, which is www.discoverycove.com.
Prices range from $229 to $259 (depending on the time of year) for the all inclusive package which includes the dolphin swim. All prices are available from the web site. You could choose to be a dolphin trainer for the day. There are several packages to choose from. Keep an eye on the exchange rates to get the best deal!

I would thoroughly recommend this park to anyone. The experience was amazing. Being so close to the dolphins, and all those rays and fish was just unbelievable. If you are going to spend thousands on the trip of a lifetime to Florida, this is a must!

Sam xxx

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